The Man Who Brought Closure
he knew not that day he’d walk toward death,
strolling by Colorado pines with a leash in hand;
St. Patrick’s Day is cold in Michigan every year
and in 2011 we had the most snow in history-
he was minding his own business and all of a
sudden right in front of him was my frozen sister
“encompassed in Winter was my sister who died,
she had been there for three months after her suicide”
he was not expecting to encounter a body buried,
never thought he’d see sights he wished were unseen-
thinking she was homeless without warmth to comfort,
knew not she was my sister who chose death over life;
in tragic awe he stood wondering what had happened,
then he remembered her picture from the newspaper
“a crowded mind worn from a man I’ll always remember-
for we were searching everywhere since late December”
snow melting,
decaying;
Spring arriving,
praying
we talked a few days later and he apologized,
for what, I knew not ... for he had given us closure-
I wanted to know so bad what she looked like,
yearned to see her one last time to say goodbye;
the sight of her body left him breathless too-
for he’d never forget St. Patrick’s Day 2011
“I felt close to him, and he explained just the same-
my gratitude extends; I’ll never forget Robert’s name”
September 20, 2019
John Lawless
I'LL NEVER FORGET WHAT'S HIS NAME (OR HER NAME) Poetry Contest
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